Bottle carrier



une 22, 1948. ALLAMPRECHT 2,443,985

.YBOTTLE CARRiER y Fi led Sept. 11, 1946 3 sheetsheet 1 INVENTOR. Joseph A. Lamp/emf QMW ATTORNEYS June 22, 1948. A. LAMPRQECHT BOTTLE CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1946 INVENTOR. Joseph A. Lampremf BY 201w; Quay *8w7 ATTORNEYS June J. A. LAMPRECHT 2,443,985

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Sept. 11, 1946 s Sheets-She et 3' materialwith the end arm material.

of construction presents an important feature of Patented June 22, 1948 UNITED STAT-.11; PATENT -FFFI GE E'QTILE CARRIER- Joseph A. Lamprecht, Cranford, NQJ.

Application-September 11, 1945, Serial No. 696,262

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to bottle carriers and has for-its primary object to provide a structure which islight to carry,- inexpensive to manufacture and sturdy and eiific'i'ent in use.

ZBottle carriers of the kind here involvedcomprise a stirrup-like body member which is formed to include the bottomportion and upstanding endarms, together with side bands whose end portion-sarepassed through vertical slots of the end arms and clinched, there being no waste of material nor added weight such as would result fromunnecessaryoverlapping of the side band This'type economy and lightness.

It is afurther-feature of the invention that the carrier comprises a-basket-like body and a bail which isadapted to be snapped into perman ent association with thebody, the construction' and aarrangement"being such that the bail and body may he shippedseparately for compactness of packing and may be readily associated with one another by the user. To this end, it is an important point tha't each end arm of the body has a strap dis'placed irom it to form a guideway tor theassociated-"bail leg and that the associated bail 'leg has a tongue struck from it Whoseupper end-is fr'ee and displaced into position to be intercepted by the-strap-as-the bail is slid upward, the arrangement being such that the tongue can be readily insertedoownwardthrough the strap, but cannot beaccidental-ly withdrawn from it.

It is a further-featured the invention that a plurality of straps are struck' from each end arm to form the guideway for the associated bail leg, this arrangement having the advantage that if a split or tear should start in thelower strap it will not extend into the upper strap.

In accordance with a further feature .ofthe inventionpth e bail isform'ed'as achanneled member, eachleg of which is slidablein the .guideway form'ed'rm one 'o'f'the' end arms, each end arm is .formedwith'aboss"th'at'extends into the channel of the associated bail leg; and the tongueon the baihlegis formed 'wi'tha boss that extends normally into the channel, the bosses being engageable with one another as the bail is slid upward to force the tongue away from the channel and to insure engagement of the tongue with the lower strap.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a :plan'view of ia b'ottle carrier embodying features of the invention;

Fig. .2 is a view ini sectional :elevati on taken upon the line 525-2 of Fig: .1 lookingin the direction of the arrows; andincluding "theioutlines of t 1e bottles indot and dashtlines Fig: 3 is a sectional side elevation of the carrier illustrated inF'igs' l antic-2 itaken'nn the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 iandislooking in thetdiiiection of thewarrows;

Fig; 411s arfragmentary sectional'm'ew taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking infithexi-irec- .tion of the arrows, but with :the bail displaced 'irom thewpositionshown in Fig. 2 toaits upward limit of movement; 4

Fig. 5- is asfragmentary: sectionalviewtaken on thcline i -5 ef' Fig; 4 lookingiin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. .6is a view insideelevation of 1a modified form of carrier;

Fig. 7 is a View end elevation'of th'ecarrier illustratedin Fig. 6;: and

8 isra-vievvin end elevation of'afurther form of carrier embodying features of theinvention.

The carrier'oi Figs. 1 to 5inc1udes a-bodymember 11 comprising a bottom portion 2 and upstanding end arms it Each end arm 3 has vertical slots t torn-tied in its 'side-I'margins. Throughout the bottom area the body member I l isdesirably formed with reinforcing ribs 5;

Side bands 45 have their end portions curved inward. End flanges-l at the extremities :ef the side'hands are passed inward-through the slots l and clinched-there being-the minimum of overlap between theside bands'fi and the endarms'3. The side bands ans-illustrated in Figsl to=3-have curved parallel upper and lower edges Band 8'.

Although the side-bands areef .substantial-ly less height than the end. arms, their lower edges 8 start substantially flush with the lower ends oftheend arms, while the upper .eclges Bathroughout the inaicn portions oftheir lengths extends substantially level with the top edges of theendarms. By this-arrangement, the side band width is limited for the purposes of economy of material and lightness, but at the same time a very advantageous structure is produced. The rounded ends of the side bands extend down and cover the end bottles effectively along the lower outer edges of the bottles, but at the same time the upper edges of the bands engage the bottles high enough up to afford a practical and desirable lateral support and steadying of the bottles.

The side bands are desirably formed with reinforcing ribs 8a: and may have a name or other advertising matter printed and embossed upon them.

Each end arm 3 has upper and lower straps 9 and I struck inward from it to form a guideway for an associated leg II of a channeled bail l2. Near the lower end of each channeled bail arm II, a tongue I3 is struck from the channel base, the upper end of the tongue being free. The tongue is deformed to provide a boss l4 which normally extends into the channel of the leg II, but the upper end of the tongue is normally displaced away from the channel. At a short distance below the lower strap I 0, each end arm 3 is formed with an inwardly displaced boss I5 which extends into the channel of the associated bail leg.

The basket-like bodies and the balls constructed as described, but not operatively associated with one another, are shipped in like numbers and in the same or separate packages to the dealer who uses them. When the user is ready to put the carriers into service or to prepare a stock of carriers for service, it is a very simple matter to insert the bail ends through the straps 9 and HI :and to thrust the bail ends downward until they engage the bottom member 2. During this operation the tongues l3 are readily cammed aside, first by the upper straps 9 and then by the lower straps l0, so that they pass through the straps without substantial difiiculty.

When the tongues have passed through the lower straps I0 they spring inward so that the lower straps I0 stand in intercepting relation to them. When a container has been loaded and is picked up by the bail I2, the bail slides upward until such sliding movement is arrested by engagement of the tongues I3 with the lower straps The bosses I4 and I5 are provided, respectively, upon the tongues I3 and the arms 3 in order to assure the interception of the tongues I3 by the straps I0, even though the tongues may in use have been subjected to deformation from their normal or intended shape. As has been mentioned, the boss It normally projects into the channel of the leg II upon which it is formed. The boss I5, however, extends into the channel for substantially the full depth thereof and into position to engage the boss I4 and cam it inward.

Th parts are all desirably formed of light sheet metal which has considerable resilience so that it is possible to force the boss I4 past the boss I5 when assembling the bail with the basket-like body without permanent deformation of the tongue I3 or the boss I5.

The carrier illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is in all respects like the carrier of Figs. 1 to 5, save that the side bands are of modified construction and the slots formed in the end arms are modified to correspond with the altered side bands. In the main, therefore, corresponding reference characters have been applied to corresponding parts with the subscript a added in each instance,

and no detailed description will be given except 'as to the altered parts. The side bands 6a are substantially coextensive in height with the end arms 3a. The ends of the side bands are cut away to form openings I6 so that upper and lower arms I1 and I8 are provided on the ends of each side band 611. End flanges Ia on the arms l1 and I8 are passed through upper and lower vertical slots I9 and 20 formed in the side margins of the end arms 30!. and are clinched as before. This construction has the advantage that it affords a more complete protection for the bottles. This additional protection is obtained, however, at cost of utilizing more material and of making the carrier somewhat heavier.

The construction of Fig. 8 is exactly like that of Fig. '7, save that the side bands 6b are made narrower than the side bands 6a and the arms Nb and I8?) are made narrower than the corresponding arms I! and I8 of Figs. 6 and '7. As to the parts which are not modified the same reference numerals are employed as in Figs. 6 and 7 with the subscript b added, or substituted for the subscript a as the case may be.

I have described What I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A basket-like bottle carrier comprising a unitary stirrup-like sheet metal member that includes 'a bottom portion and straight upstanding end arms, and a channeled sheet metal bail slid- .ably secured to the end arms, each end arm having a pair of spaced straps displaced from it to form with the arm body a guideway for the associated bail leg, and the associated bail leg having a tongue struck from the base of the channel whose upper end is free and is displaced into position to be intercepted by the lower strap as the bail is slid upward.

2. A bottle carrier as set forth in claim 1 in which the end arm is formed with a boss that extends into the channel of the associated bail leg and the tongue is formed with a boss that extends normally into the channel, said bosses being engageable with one another as the bail is slid upward to force the tongue away from the channel and to assure intercepting engagement of the lower strap with the tongue.

JOSEPH A. LAMPRECI-IT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 476,150 Knight May 31, 1892 2,396,003 Goldman 1.1---- Mar. 5, 1946 2,404,685 Bassichis July 23, 1946 2,418,571 Bowersox Apr. 8, 1947 2,425,401 Shaw et al. Aug. 12, 1947 2,425,564 Ring Aug. 12, 1947 

